


five times people thought bohn & duen were ben's parents

by earthfluuke



Category: My Engineer (TV)
Genre: Fluff, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-25
Updated: 2020-06-25
Packaged: 2021-03-04 03:47:29
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,085
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24917080
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/earthfluuke/pseuds/earthfluuke
Summary: and one time they accepted they kind of were.
Relationships: Duen Krisada Rattananumchok/Bon Sirikarnkul
Comments: 8
Kudos: 191
Collections: All





	five times people thought bohn & duen were ben's parents

**_one_ **

The first time it happened was at Ben’s science fair. With his parents out of the country for work, Bohn had been asked to attend in their place. And Duen was more than happy to tag along.

“I don’t remember elementary schools ever having this many students,” Duen said as they entered the large gymnasium. “Let’s hurry up and find Ben before he sets off that volcano without supervision.”

Arm looping through Duen’s, Bohn chuckled. “Have a bit of faith. He worked hard on that. You think he would destroy it so easily?”

“He’s related to you. I’m sure he would jump at the opportunity,” Duen dead panned. “And don’t talk to me about working on anything. _I_ was the one who painted that entire thing while the two of you wasted time playing video games.”

“It took place on an island with a volcano,” Bohn said. “It was research.”

“Oh, research, mhm.” Duen unthreaded his arm and shoved his hand into his pocket. “Perhaps you should research how to convince your boyfriend not to spend the night on the couch next.”

“Baby, come on. Don’t be like that!”

“Excuse me.” A young woman approached the two of them, kind smile on her face. “I’m Ben’s teacher. I overheard you saying you were looking for him? His table is just over there; I can take you.”

“Thank you so much,” Duen said with a grin and a wai.

They followed her down the many aisles lined up across the room. Just as they turned down another, she commented, “Ben had said that his parents were coming, but he never mentioned anything about having two fathers. And such young ones as well! You both barely look like you’re out of university. I couldn’t imagine.”

Spluttering, Duen waved his hands frantically. “No, no, you’re mistaken,” he said when he found his voice. “His parents had to leave the country for work on such short notice, and it would have been a shame if no one came to support him.”

“I’m his uncle,” Bohn supplied from his side. “So is he. Not legally of course but in every way that really matters.”

“Bohn,” Duen hissed.

“Ah, my mistake,” the woman said. “But still so nice of you both to come. He’s just at the end of this row. Enjoy the fair!”

They split off in opposite directions, and just before they reached Ben’s table, Bohn leaned over to whisper in his ear, “She really thought we were parents. I guess we’re pretty convincing. Should we embrace the role? I can get a ring by Saturday, and we can start trying for babies on Sunday.”

“Remember what I said? About sleeping on the couch? That still very much stands.”

_**two** _

“P’Duen!”

Letting out a sound of surprise, Duen caught Ben around the shoulders with his free hand. The twelve-year-old beamed up at him, squeezing him tighter around the middle.

“What are you doing here?” Bohn asked as he stood up from his desk, moving towards the two to take up Duen’s opposite side. Sliding an arm around him, Bohn pulled him in for a soft kiss.

Smiling as he pulled back, Duen lifted the lunchbox he’d carried in. “You all have been working so hard lately. So I thought I’d drop off some snacks before my evening class started. There’s plenty to share. Don’t steal them all for yourself when you know I can easily make more for you whenever you want, hm?” He handed the lunchbox off to Bohn but not without pressing a kiss to his cheek first.

Attention back on the child still wrapped around him, he let his hand fall to the top of his head. “I think the better question is what are _you_ doing here?”

“My sister dropped him off after school,” Bohn answered, unlatching the lunchbox to take a peek at its contents. “She has some fancy auction to go to, so he’s staying over tonight. His bag is under the desk.”

“But I finished my homework, and now I’m _bored,”_ Ben interjected. Tugging on his shirt, he gave Duen a hopeful grin. “Will you take me somewhere? There’s an ice cream shop down the street.”

“Duen has class,” Bohn said, falling back into his chair. “As much as I’d _love_ to get you out of my hair for a bit so I could get my work done without your constant whining,” Ben stuck his tongue out at him, “he has important future doctor things to do. So you’re stuck with me, kid.”

Laughing when Ben only continued to beg him, Duen ruffled his hair with a nod. “I have a few hours before I have to get to campus. I think I could spare some time to get ice cream.”

Cheering happily, he huddled in close for another hug. Duen returned the embrace, not missing the fond smile Bohn sent their ways.

“N’Duen!” the voice of one of Bohn’s coworkers broke through their tender moment. “My favorite person to see!”

“With all due respect, P’Toy, you only say that when I bring food,” Duen pointed out sheepishly.

Barking a laugh, Toy shook a finger in his direction. “Exactly! If things with Bohn don’t work out, you know where to find me.” Finally taking notice of Ben, he bit back on his teasing. “Oh, probably shouldn’t make jokes like that in front of your kid. Did you just adopt recently? Knowing Bohn, the entire office would have already heard all about it.”

Cheeks going red, Duen rapidly shook his head. “He isn’t ours. He’s Bohn’s nephew. We watch him sometimes.”

“Ah,” Toy said with an understanding nod. “In that case, my offer still stands. You know where my office is, right?”

“Ai’Toy.” Bohn swiveled around in his chair to face him. “Just because Ben isn’t our son doesn’t mean Duen isn’t still my boyfriend. I suggest you keep your ‘offers’ to yourself.”

“Aw, come on, you know I’m just kidding around! It’s fun to make him blush.”

_“Ai’Toy.”_

Duen ushered Ben towards the elevators before the two could notice they’d gone.

_**three** _

Adjusting his sunglasses back up his nose, Bohn swung his legs back and forth beneath the water. Kids ran past him on either side, cannonballing into the pool as more families convened inside.

It was a beautiful day, albeit an incredibly humid one. It was the perfect excuse to get Ben out of the apartment for the majority of the afternoon before his sister came to pick him up later that night. She’d offered him exclusive passes to the private club she and her husband belonged to, but Bohn had waved her off. It was better for Ben to spend his school breaks at the public pool around children his age instead of stuck up socialites.

Despite that, his playmate of choice had been Duen. It had taken Ben a bit of coaxing to get him into the pool, but once he’d broken the water’s surface, his hesitations flew out the window. Wide smile on full display, pretty brown eyes narrowing to crescents, he hooked his arms beneath Ben’s and swung him around before dumping him back into the water. He giggled once he resurfaced, requesting for him to do it again.

There was something so delightful about seeing his two favorite people getting along. His lovely Duen – looking even lovelier with his wet hair pushed back and thin, bare waist dipping into his swim shorts – treated Ben like his own flesh and blood, had for years now. He always helped him with his homework, cooked him something nice when he had a bad day, sent him off to bed with a hug and a good night when Bohn worked late. And Ben, he considered Duen every bit his uncle as he did Bohn. He washed dishes Duen handed off to him after dinner, asked about him when he was in class, wanted him to tag along with Bohn to every one of his school and sport events. They meshed so well, and Bohn was infinitely grateful.

Just as he had begun to truly admire the view, sitting further back on his hands with a sigh, a young mother, infant on her hip, situated herself beside him. Flashing him a smile, she looked out in the direction he was, lips tilting even further up at the sight of Ben attempting to climb up Duen’s arm to push him underwater.

“Such cute boys you have,” she cooed, bouncing the baby in her lap. “So good together as well. You must feel so lucky.”

Bohn’s fingers curled around the underside of the pool deck. She was right; they _were_ his boys, both of them, just not in the way she meant. “I do,” he said. “My boyfriend and nephew are great.”

“Nephew?” She hummed. “I never would have guessed from the way your boyfriend acts with him. Or how you look at the two of them. Still, so sweet.”

“Yeah,” Bohn agreed quietly.

He and Duen had been getting comments like that a lot lately. Did they really look that much like parents? They were nowhere near ready for a child – let alone a twelve-year-old – and yet people were making assumptions left and right.

Pulled from his thoughts by one of Ben’s loud bursts of laughter, he turned back to see him held in Duen’s arms, head thrown back as Duen spun them in circles. A soft smile grew across his cheeks as he let his head loll against his shoulder. He supposed it didn’t matter much what people assumed when he got to look forward to moments like this.

**_four_ **

Bohn caught Ben in a hug as soon as he threw himself into him. Chuckling, he rubbed over the back of his football jersey. “Hey. Good job today.”

Chin rested on his stomach, Ben looked up to him with bright, wide eyes. “Did you see the goal I made at the end of the first half? Right when the whistle blew?”

“We saw everything,” Duen assured with a smile. “You were great.”

Grabbing onto Duen’s hand, he pulled himself into his side, burying his face into his waist. “Thank you for coming,” he mumbled into the fabric of his shirt, gripping the opposite end in tight fists. His sudden mood shift was troubling, and Bohn shared a worried look with his boyfriend.

He couldn’t help but sympathize with his nephew; he wasn’t the only one with parents who had failed to show up to his important events. Hence, why he put so much importance on attending anything his sister or brother-in-law couldn’t. And Duen – caring, understanding, and having the biggest heart – never failed to come along with him.

Hand finding the back of Ben’s head, Duen stroked his fingers into his hair. “Nothing to thank us for. Now, let’s grab your things. We’ll stop at the supermarket on the way home. I’ll make you whatever you want for dinner.”

Ben gave him a hopeful yet skeptical look. _“Anything_ I want?”

“So long as it’s actually food and not just chocolate and candy.”

“Darn it.”

Shaking his head with a laugh, Bohn reached down to sling Ben’s duffle bag over his shoulder. Leaving the field in the direction of their car, they were stopped by a young man with a whistle around his neck.

“Ah, take this before you leave,” he said, thrusting a piece of paper in Bohn’s direction. “We’re giving out a schedule for next week’s championship round to all of the parents.”

“Thank you,” Bohn said, folding up the paper and pocketing it for later. “But I’m just the uncle. I’ll make sure to give it to my sister later.”

With a smile and a nod, the man called “thank you!” over his shoulder as he went on to deliver the rest of the papers. Duen met his eyes, but Ben was pulling them towards the parking lot before they could comment on what was now the _fourth_ time such a thing had happened.

_**five** _

“Unbelievable!” Duen exclaimed, marching to the kitchen to drop the shopping he was carrying onto the counter. Ben had already run off to his room, and Bohn took it upon himself to carefully shut the door, lest their neighbors hear his boyfriend’s outburst.

Unpacking the groceries, he continued with on with firm shakes of his head, “This has happened, what? Five times now? Do I look old enough to parent a twelve-year-old? Is that it? Have I not been moisturizing enough?”

With a soft coo, Bohn molded over his back, trailing kisses across his neck and shoulders. “Of course not. You look exactly the same as the day I met you. Still the cutest person I’ve ever seen.”

Duen huffed in protest but made no moves to push Bohn off. Instead, he reached for a knife and began cutting up the vegetables for dinner, all while muttering, “Who did that woman think she was anyway?”

Said woman in question had approached him in the supermarket. Cart situated in the middle of the candy aisle, Duen had waited patiently for Ben to pick out whichever treat he wanted. The woman reprimanded him for allowing his child to eat such unhealthy, processed foods. It had been completely unwarranted, and Duen had barely managed to stammer out that he wasn’t Ben’s father before retreating.

“He did really well on his algebra test,” he said with a particularly hard chop to the celery. “He deserved a treat.”

“He did,” Bohn agreed, resting his cheek between Duen’s shoulder blades. “But that sounds like something a parent would do. So it’s not really helping your case, babe.”

Eyes narrowing to shoot a glare of his shoulder, Duen raised his knife. “Another word and this could conveniently slice right over one of yours fingers.”

“Empty threats,” Bohn brushed off. “Besides, I never said it was a bad thing. You care about him a lot. Enough to reward him for good grades. It’s certainly nice to know that the people in my life are important to you.”

Dropping the knife, finally turning around to face him, Duen fixed him a with smile. _“You’re_ important to me,” he stressed with a step closer. “But I guess I can’t deny that I have a bit of a soft spot for him.”

“As you should.” Bohn’s arms gripped him tighter, closing the gap and pressing them chest to chest. “Because he’s great.”

Duen laughed. “I think you’re a bit biased.”

“Well, as his father, I think I have that right.”

“Do _not_ start.”

_**+1** _

Seated on the far end of the playground with Duen tucked into his side, Bohn periodically looked out towards the parking lot, waiting for the sight of Daonua running from her mother’s car. With Ben already in their care, they’d decided to make a playdate out of their day off.

As he turned back to his boyfriend, ready to give his jaw a kiss and ultimately get swatted at for it, his neck cracked with how fast his head whipped in the direction of an all too familiar shout.

Bohn didn’t remember getting off the bench, his legs carrying him onto the woodchips, Duen following close behind. All he remembered was crouching beside Ben and fixating on the red, raw scrape along his knee.

It wasn’t much; he’d heard him scream over much worse, and yet, his heart refused to slow. Fortunately, Duen was quick on his feet with first aid kit at the ready. Similarly to himself, he had cleaned Ben up plenty of times, but unlike Bohn, he was calm and collected, the perfect future doctor.

He was being dramatic, but maybe that was what happened when you looked after one kid for the better part of twelve years. He hadn’t thought of Ben as the fussy baby he’d watched at thirteen in a long time, but seeing him now – bottom lip between his teeth to bite back the tears big, bad twelve-year-olds weren’t meant to shed – it was hard to picture much else.

“And we’re done,” Duen said, giving the bandage one last secure press before he began packing up his equipment. “I’ve told you to be careful when running on here. It’s uneven.”

“I know,” Ben mumbled, crinkling his nose when Duen pinched his cheek.

“Try and remember it for next time, hm? Now, let’s go see if Daonua is here. Maybe you can convince your uncle to get you guys ice cream while we wait for her.”

“Really? Can we?” Wide smile fading to a puzzled scowl when he met Bohn’s wide eyes, Ben asked carefully, “Uncle Bohn?”

That was all it took. Arms coming around his back, Bohn hugged him into his chest, squeezing him tight, all while unconsciously reminding himself to mind the cut on his leg. Small hands found his back and pressed unsure pats between his shoulders.

“It’s okay,” he said. “It doesn’t even hurt anymore. Don’t worry.”

Bohn pulled back to get a clear look at Ben’s face. This was the face he’d missed so dearly, the face he could only see through video calls and pictures his sister sent him. Sometimes it felt like he was making up for all the time he’d missed when Ben was in England. Perhaps that was the root of all his concern and fear.

But Ben wasn’t in England anymore. He was right in front of him, flashing him large, heart melting puppy eyes. He was even leaning on his injured leg, if only to get a closer read of Bohn’s face.

Breathing a smile and loosening his grip, Bohn said, “You’re my kid. Of course I’m going to worry.” He caught a glimpse of Duen’s look of surprise that slowly melted to a warm fondness. “And I’m also going to get you ice cream.”

Letting out a cheerful yelp, Ben hurried out a “thank you” before rushing towards the parking lot, pain long forgotten. Bohn watched him go, smile relaxed as his heart finally settled to its normal speed.

Hand coming to grab his, Duen gave him a squeeze. “ _Your kid,_ huh?” he asked, playfully bumping their hips together.

Bohn finally gave his jaw that kiss, and instead of shooing him away, Duen only leaned into it. “I’ve been with him for more of his life than I’ve been without him. Pretty sure that means he’s partially mine. Which means he’s also partially _yours._ Joint custody.”

Duen smiled, pulling Bohn along when Ben urged them to hurry along. “Sounds good to me.”

**Author's Note:**

> so this was kind of ridiculous. but i loved seeing bohn - who we all originally thought was just another flirty playboy - being the sweetest big brother/father figure. i am soft for it, and therefore, i had to write it.
> 
> thank you so much for reading! i hope you enjoyed!! <3


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